As professional trainers, we get this question A LOT. And the answer is: It depends.

Pictured is Babe the border collie who not only listens anytime I ask her to do something and gets off the couch immediately if asked, she will happily go in her crate and relax quietly without any persuasion needed, she has no aggression, resource guarding, anxiety, or reactivity and overall is a really well mannered and well behaved dog.

If you answer ‘Yes’ to any of the questions below, it may be a good idea to stop allowing your dog on your furniture, at least temporarily while you work through any issues.

1. Is your dog struggling with any aggression issues?

2. Does you dog display any resource guarding behavior?

3. Does your dog suffer from separation anxiety and/or struggle with being separated from you?

4. Is you dog reactive on leash to other dogs or people? (Barking, growling, lunging, pulling, etc)

5. Do you have to repeat yourself several times or use food bribes to get your dog to do basic commands? (sit, down, come, stay, place)

6. Do you have to repeat yourself several times, raise your voice, or change your demeanor to seem more “serious” to get your dog to STOP doing something?

If you answered ‘No’ to all these questions, it may be ok to invite your dog onto the couch for some cuddles.

If you need help addressing any of the issues in the 6 questions, we can help!